The Outdoors
April 2014Chaumont Garden Festival
This magnificent château and its park overlooking the scenic Loire is the setting for a long-running festival celebrating the very best in contemporary garden design.
Although Chaumont's castle and grounds are open year-round, the prime time to visit is between May and October, when the site hosts its world-renowned festival of contemporary garden design.
The 2014 theme is 'Body and Soul' . Around 20 gardens have been selected by the Jury from over 300 proposals. There are representatives from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Japan. 'Gardens of Light' illuminates the gardens. allowing the visitor to explore the gardens by night. Gastronomic treats are offered in the temporary restaurants set up for the duration of the Festival.
Chaumont's small but classically beautiful castle was occupied by, among others, Catherine de Medici (who entertained Nostradamus there), Diane de Poitiers and Madame de Staël. It has stunning interiors from various epochs and superb Belle Epoque stables boasting porcelain troughs.
The charming village of Chaumont nestles at the foot of the castle on the banks of the Loire, an ideal place for riverside walks.
